Shadowed Sails On The Horizon
by Conspicuous Expression
Summary: Captain Jack is forced to reunite with a long since avoided old friend, and then a series of events occur leaving him once again to retrieve the Pearl, defeat the Kracken, and get rid of Maria. Reviews are splendorous and lovely.
1. Welcoming Committee

A/N: I've got plenty of writing experience... just not in this site. ;) So this is the first story I've published here, and it's mean to be a little short chaptered, funny Jack/Oc adventure. Mildly fluffy, and silly. I hope the short chapters won't bother you -- but I believe that I'll update frequently enough to make up for it. So, I hope you enjoy. 3

* * *

"Cap'n!" Squawked first mate Teed from the other side of Maria's cabin door. She ignored him a few moments, trying to finish her nap in peace. There were three crashing bangs on the door. Her rum fell off the table and splattered everywhere.

Surrendering, Maria replied, "Oh _fine_! Come in."

Teed waddled in hurriedly, glancing guiltily at Maria's wasted rum.

"What is it?" She scowled. This time, it better be important.

His withering old voice dropped to a rumbling whisper as he answered, "There are _shadowed_ sails on the horizon."

And so it began once more.

* * *

Maria's breath hitched. "What does he _want_ from me? Can't he just... ugh!"

Teed squirmed slightly, hand twitching towards the door for an escape.

"Ehh... orders, M'lady?" He asked gently, hoping for a command that would allow him to excuse himself to the eck where there were more... witnesses.

"Keep watch, and see if he raises the colors--"

Mid-sentence, a member of Maria's crew of miscreants and juvenile delinquents shouted inconveniently, "She's a pirate! I think its the Pearl!"

The newest crew members' excited whispers seemed to taunt her.

Teed watched her warily.

After a moment of scowling at the wall viciously, Maria sprang to life, her black curly hair whooshing behind her as she made way for the door signaling Teed to follow. He hastily complied.

Maria pulled out her telescope and examined the ship that was steadily making its way towards theirs. She confirmed, it was indeed the Black Pearl_._

"What shu' we do?" Mathers', the physician, inquired.

"Raise the colors. We'd best give Jack a proper response," She replied heartily, causing her crew to eye her with The Pearl and Maria's Restless, were now side by side, the black and crimson sails making an awful billowing sound with each other.

* * *

On the Black Pearl...

"Jack!" Gibbs shouted in distress, "Orders?"

"Aye... orders... " Jack thought a moment, debating on the best way to go about this unpleasant task.

"Prepare a boat. Ye'll stay on board, whilst me and ol' Hector will pay dear Maria a visit," he smirked.

"...Aye," answered Gibbs in a cracking voice, before turning to the crew to give out orders. A boat was readied and he and Barbossa rowed their way to the Restless.

"This'll be the death o' you Jack," Barbossa whispered to him -- rather creepily, in Jack's opinion -- as they passed off the dinghy and onto the Restless_,_ "Maria won't be pleased to hear about this."

Barbossa smiled with an air of satisfaction.

Maria's crew formed a crowded, irregular circle around the newcomers.

"Make way!" Teed's voice sounded from somewhere behind the crowd.

The pirates separated to make a path for their captain and first mate. Jack gulped slightly with anticipation as he watched them drift apart slowly. Teed past through the tiny clearing, which closed quickly behind, leaving Maria nowhere to be seen. Jack relaxed slightly, inventing calming scenarios in his head. Perhaps she decided to leave the ship in Teed's command, or she was sick in bed, or --

He felt the tip of a gun barrel gently press against the back of his head, and a smooth female whisper in his ear, "Welcome back."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews would mean a lot to me. 3


	2. Vile News

Barbossa stifled a snicker.

He turned to face Maria and smiled pleasantly.

"How 'ave ye been, lass?"

"Well," she answered smugly, as he took in the terrifying ship which had long since been in her possession.

"Aye... red?" He pointed at the noisy blood colored sails.

"Indeed," she informed him, smiling as she cocked the gun against Jack's head while he flinched ever so slightly.

"And the rubies embedded in black woodwork?"

"This ship was taken from a rich sheik, thirteen years ago. He had lovely taste, I must say."

"Oh, aye." He examined the jewels with an impressed air.

"I hate to interrupt your discussion," interrupted Jack gleefully, having finally remembered why he was in this retched situation, "But I believe that there is business to be taken care of."

"If its nay an apology, you can go ahead and lie down to prevent a fall-- you woudn't want any bruises on yer corpse, love," advised Maria ignored her threat, poising himself for the oncoming mayhem.

"I do think I'd rather discuss this. Ye wouldn't want poor old Jack to kick the buck --" He paused, rethinking that last sentence, "Ye wouldn't want to kick the bucket, now would ye? We're both going down if ye shoot me now."

"Is that so?" Maria inquired, circling around to face him, not removing the gun from his head. It came to meet his forehead by the time she didn't answer, just stared into her eyes, trying to for once look like he was telling the truth. He failed miserably.

She clucked her tongue impatiently and asked again, "I _said_ -- Is that so?"

"...Aye. Ye remember... umm... Hector?"

Jack beckoned his mutinous former first mate with a pleasant flutter of the fingers and he rolled his eyes and began to explain, "Ye and Jack got married twenty one years ago. I'd remember -- I'm the culprit fer such a terrible crime of marryin' ye two together. But as things went, now that ye've not been speaking much since last -- _time,_ there's been a bit o' confusion. Ye see, Jack's on the run --"

"--Not much surprise there," Maria added.

"--From his mum and pappy." He turned to glare suspiciously at her former husband.

"And what'd that have to do with me?" She asked icily.

"..."

"_Jack?"_

"How'd you like to see me pa again? He's certainly been anxious to... see you?" Jack made it sound like a question to himself.

"I'd rather not, love." Her gun made a clicking noise, and she recoaxed it.

Barbossa interrupted, not wanting blood on his shirt, "Jack's daddy's gonna be very angry if ye don't make it look like yer still a twosome. There's both crew's lives at stake, includin' mine. It'd be brainless go up against Teague for sumthin' as simple as that."

"Aye. He'll be catchin' up with the Pearl in a few days," Added Jack earnestly, avoiding the shocked of Maria's crew seemed to be unable to think with the unlikelihood that they're moody and independent captain was married to a _Jack Sparrow. _Let alone _married. _

After a blank pause, Maria seemed to be beside herself.

"That's the most vile idea I've ever come across. Why the hell should I pretend to be married to you again? You smell terrible! And, you haven't apologized."

"What did I _do_?"

"Ye marooned me at Port Royal. To the gallows!"

"I already made up fer that," he reminded her. "Got you back nice and safe."

"'_Nice and safe,_'" she mocked. "After that, ye both deserted me in Singapore, as a slave under Teach's command. A year under the mercy and command of the devil!"

"Well, he got caught," Barbossa reasoned, though he felt guilty. He remembered it as _barely_ being an accident, her desertion, though both he and Jack called it a mistake and resolved to fix it. And then never did.

"Yeah! And guess what 'appened after _that?"_ Jack heartily added to the conversation, "Barbossa and half the crew resorted to mutiny and marooned me on a wee little island. Couldn't do anything about it. So its his fault, and I'm awful apologetic on his account."

Maria was still unconvinced, and angry. She wanted to pull the trigger now. That would solve everything, wouldn't it? No vengeful Teague, no dead crew... no Jack Sparrow. The idea was marvelous. Yet...She withdrew the gun and stuck back in its holder. Jack giggled gleefully. She guessed he had done some drinking before he got the courage to tell her this vile news.

"I'm still gonna kill you... eventually," she huffed and flounced off to tell Teed the her plan. He'd have to watch over the crew while she was traveling on the Pearl_._


	3. Blackmail

It was, in the end, decided that Teed would play the role of captain, and Mathers as first mate while their captain stayed on board the Pearl.

The two ships would stay half a mile apart so as to prevent navy ships from believing they were alliances. Which, as Maria haughtily pointed out, they were not.

Maria only had one day to prepare for her oncoming bout of unpleasantness. She brought the things she needed on the Pearl -- which was very little. A bit of clothing, some money, weapons, and mainly her private stash of rumm though she couldn't drink any, for her first day away from her ship was sickening enough -- constantly being watched by Gibbs for signs of... well, she didn't know what for. Perhaps spontaneous combustion?

Not to mention Jack's occasional appearance, which led to his speech becoming very awkward, and monotone, then sneaking behind a pole or wall to stay out of her sight while he and Barbossa gave orders to the crew at the same time.

Apparently, Barbossa had been welcomed back by half the crew, and the other half vowed loyalty only to Jack.

In the end, after much piratical squabbling (gunfire), it was decided Barbossa and Jack would be co-captains, and Gibbs would remain first mate.

A terribly uncomfortable resolution, but yet, it worked for the time being.

Even with all these horrid things to tolerate, Maria didn't know the slightest bit about unpleasantness, until Teague's ship caught up with the Pearl one day after her, having seen both the Restless and the Pearl in close proximity, Teague assumed that his son's marriage was intact.

However, being a wise old fart in Jack opinion, Teague knew that little Jackie was most likely just staging things for the sake of his crew. It was true he'd never hurt his son, nor Maria, who was entirely innocent in this situation -- but blackmail was simply the piratical way, and he didn't care a fig for either crew.

He resolved to spend time aboard the Pearl, to observe the two for a few days, to see whether they were lying or not. If they truly were together the past few years, like a faithful (if not slightly unusual) British couple, then he would have no reason at all to teach them a lesson. Teague was a pirate, true, but he had an odd array of virtues in the most uncommon places.

So Teague boarded the Pearl that day.

Much to Captain Sparrow's dismay.


	4. The Torture Begins

A/N: Okie dokie -- I am going on holiday, so I'm afraid this is the last chapter for a little while. But I will update again soon after I return in about two to three weeks. I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

Teague's daunting, huge, frightening ship seemed to loom closer all day. First a dot on the horizon, blurred and misshapen, now a horrifying emblem of death and evil, only a few yards away.

Teague was rowed to the Pearl in a small dinghy, accompanied by two members of his crew, and when he arrived he contentedly informed Jack that he'd be staying aboard the Pearl a few days to ensure that 'all was well'. Not explaining anything further, Jack resigned from reasoning with him (something he'd given up doing long ago) and barked at Gibbs to find him a place to stay somewhere, wherever that may be. Jack sighed and shot a uncomfortable glance in Maria's direction. It had been bad at first, but it was at this point, however, that the torture began.

* * *

On the Flying Dutchman...

"William!" Bootstrap hobbled over to his captain and son, "Did ye tha'? The green flash..."

The sky churned with a sinister air, alight a burning green with the after-glow of the flash, as the Flying Dutchman ferried its souls to the next realm.

"That... could not have happened. No one can pass into the locker with the Kraken dead."

"Aye, its possible. 'Appened like this once before, when I was in the devil's crew..."

"Why?"

"It doesn't only 'appen when someone goes in. It 'appens when some_thing_ comes out."

There was pause while Will processed the information.

"...But... what could possibly come out on its own, without our help?"

"The Kraken is comin' back, Will. It's gonna try and find Jack."

"...How do you even _know_?"

"If the Kraken doesn't finish a job, it'll go to any lengths to do the bidding of his master. Late, or livin'. This has 'appened before."

"To who?"

"Few. Those who have been to the locker and back... Teach, Bartholomeo... and Sparrow."

"We've got to help him. We owe him."

"Aye... but we can't just stop. Calypso will be angry when she realizes we took a break."

"We'll deal with that when it comes... now we're going to have to help Jack. How, exactly, did Teach and Bartholomeo get away from the Kraken, if it came back for them?"

"Not easily..."

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the slight cliffy, couln't help myself. Please review! Xoxo, Conspicuous.


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